Planning Knowledge and Research

The field of urban planning is far-reaching in breadth and depth. This is due to the complex nature of cities, regions, and development processes. The knowledge domain of planning includes social, economic, technological, environmental, and political systems that continue to evolve and expand rapidly. Understanding these systems is an inter-disciplinary endeavor at the scale of several academic fields. The wide range of topics considered by planning educators and practitioners are often based on varying definitions of "planning" and modes of planning practice. This unique book discusses various elements and contributions to urban planning research to show that seemingly disparate topics do in fact intersect and together, contribute to ways of understanding urban planning. The objective is not to discuss how to "do" research, but rather, to explore the context of urban planning scholarship with implications for the planning academy and planning practice.

This edited volume includes chapters contributed by a diverse range of planning scholars who consider the corpus of planning scholarship both historically and critically in their area of expertise. It is essential reading for students of planning research and planning theory from around the world.

Thomas W. Sanchez earned his PhD in City Planning from Georgia Tech in 1996 and has since taught at Iowa State University, Portland State University, and the University of Utah. He is currently chair and professor of Urban Affairs and Planning at Virginia Tech. Sanchez conducts research in the areas of transport equity, environmental justice, technology, and scholarly impact. He currently serves as the editor-in-chief of Housing Policy Debate, a leading journal on housing and community development policy. In 2012 he co-authored, Planning as if People Matter: Governing for Social Equity with Marc Brenman. In 2007 they co-authored The Right to Transportation: Moving to Equity. Also in 2007 he co-authored The Social Impacts of Urban Containment with Arthur C. Nelson and Casey Dawkins.